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Key Ingredients For Consistent Branding In Your Video Marketing Strategy

  • by , Op-Ed Contributor, February 28, 2022

Consumers love engaging with video content. They watch videos not just for entertainment but for edutainment as well. In one recent survey, 94% of participants said they had relied on a video to determine whether to buy a product. 

After watching their video, 72% were sold. This makes video a valuable tool for marketers, and marketers clearly agree. Eighty-three percent say it’s only becoming more important. 

Given all its advantages, it’s no wonder that about 8 in 10 marketers said they plan to bake video creation into their upcoming campaigns. However, it’s important to get the process right, especially when it comes to branding.

Using Video for Branding 

You probably already know that the first few seconds of a video need to hook viewers in order to get them to stay until the end. Yet you can’t allow your desire for a compelling hook to overshadow your video’s purpose of representing your brand strategically and in the right ways. 

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Ideally, someone should immediately recognize that your branded video content is from your company. If you decide to create animated videos, your animation style should remain the same across all your work, titles, and motion graphics. You will want to establish specific voice-over and on-screen acting tones that echo your brand values, too.

It’s important to note, however, that the color palettes, logos, and typefaces you prefer in videos don’t have to reflect exactly what you use for printed advertisements or static billboards. You can choose a slightly different visual identity for different marketing efforts, but committing to a brand style guide explicitly meant for video content is a great way to ensure consistency. 

To create video content that represents your brand effectively and consistently, start by doing the following three things: 

Revisit your brand guidelines before starting each video.

When you’re still in the video planning stages, pull out your video style guide. This will give you the refresher you need so you can confidently front-load your brand in all your initial creative materials, such as scripts and storyboards. 

Never wait until the last second to plug in some kind of brand mention or ethos. By the time you’re deep into editing, you have very few choices other than to slap a logo or buzz phrase onto a few frames. Be sure to give any collaborators, like editors or set designers, a copy of your branding rulebook, too. That way, they’ll understand your expectations.

Consider setting brand moods specific to the platforms. 

Is a video made for your company’s website and YouTube going to perform as well on TikTok or Instagram? Probably not. Yet that doesn’t mean you have to relinquish your brand identity when you move across sites. 

It may be necessary to break down your brand guidelines by platform. You can still embrace the same general tonality and color schemes, but you might want to switch to a faster-paced editing style with more jump-cuts on some social media portals. Making small adjustments can tailor and improve the appeal of your videos without compromising quality or brand recognition. 

Gut check (aka “brand check”) every video. 

Before going live with any video, watch it several times. Then, answer these questions honestly: Would you know that it came from your brand? Does it seem appropriate for your business? Is it a true reflection of the corporate face, voice, and heart you want to show the world?

Maybe you’re too close to your creative work to know how to respond. In that case, test it with employees or even a small group of customers. If it turns out that your branding isn’t strong enough or comes in too late, you may want to make changes before showcasing the video online. 

There’s little doubt that video content will continue to be one of the most important tools for marketers. When rooted in strategy and consistency, it has the power to add incredible value to your brand.

 

 

 

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